Approaching on June 10th is the 90th anniversary of the first performance of Serenade; Balanchine’s first creation on American soil. To commemorate the occasion I’ve prepared a week of posts with rare and some never-before-seen photos of Serenade throughout its long history.
“Serenade is like a labyrinth Balanchine has constructed to guide us, gently, but with no recourse but to proceed.” —Toni Bentley in Serenade: A Balanchine Story
I thought this was interesting: that Balanchine developed a ballet that acts as an obstacle course to both test and teach skills to all who pass through it. By the time a dancer has learned, rehearsed and performed the ballet, they have been proposed challenges and subsequently overcome them in order to achieved a certain level of proficiency. After learning Serenade, a dancer is prepared to take on more work in the Balanchine repertory. Even without having him Earth-side, the “labyrinth” he created, continues to do its job— teaching, strengthening and challenging all who pass through it.
The Australian Ballet. Photos by Walter Stringer, 1970.
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